


Alive

by AngelynMoon



Category: Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:40:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29916336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelynMoon/pseuds/AngelynMoon
Summary: Alice jumps but she isn't allowed to fall.
Relationships: Alice Munro/Uncas, Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo/Cora Munro
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Alive

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know for tags if you think this needs more

She looks away from the man who killed Uncas, who reached out to her, hand open like an offering. Her eyes search for Uncas but they cannot find him amidst the trees that cling to the cliffs.

Slowly she turns back, eyes misty and her sad eyes meet cold, empty brown ones, so different from Uncas' warm dark eyes.

She know that no kindness waits for her now, not with this man, this man who killed her Father, who wanted her and Cora dead and only kept her by the word of the blanket wrapped elder that he had dragged them to.

She wants Uncas. Her heart weeps with tears that will not fall from her eyes. She wants Uncas' warm arms around her, his heartbeat humming beneath against her cheek, somehow louder than the roar of the waterfall that sheltered them.

She wants his voice whispering reassurances in her ear, she wants his lips pressing promises against her skin in a language she will never learn.

She wants the kisses that lingered against her mouth and temple as he took her innocence, no, not took, when she had given him the only piece of herself that was hers to give and she recalls the sweetness of his touch as he received it like it was the most precious gift he had been given.

Was it that moment that had brought him racing after her, that brought him to his death? Did he recall the sweetness of her shy kisses in that moment when his eyes met hers, when he realized that he would fail at rescuing her? Did he look to her so that she was the last image he'd see before death separated them?

Alice blinked, her eyes lingering on the blood stained hand that reached for her.

Then she turned away, leaping from the cliff to join Uncas.

For a moment she was weightless, suspended over open air.

For a moment she was free.

Arms enclosed around her, grabbing her and pulling her back. Caging her.

Alice felt a scream of rage and sorrow escape her as she was dragged back to solid ground and she struggled in the hold that kept her from Uncas.

She felt her nails catch on skin and she pulled hard and the blow that connected with her cheek brought her partially oit of her wild frenzy, enough to at least be pleased about the blood that now dripped down the face of Uncas' killer.

He growled something out and pushed her into the hold of one of his men, who dragged her along and, when he tired of her struggles to remain with Uncas, lifted her up over his shoulder and carried her like a bag of flour, hands wrapped tight around her ankles to keep her from kicking out.

And as they disappeared into the forest Alice thought she caught the sight of three figures arriving at the cliffs.

Her sister and Uncas' family, just moments too late to matter.

\--

Alice's hands are tied again, as are her ankles, her captors disliking her escape attempts but not enough to kill her for them.

She did not like the way Uncas' killer watched her, the way his eyes lingered on her figure, or the way he slid his fingers through her hair.

The taste of his blood still lingered on her tongue from when she bit his fingers when he had attempted to unravel her braid, the one Uncas had placed in her hair when he had carefully pulled out of her body and held her close to him in the darkness after they had finished joining.

She'd heard the man's warriors whispering about her, about her wildness, whispering about angered Gods and possession, muttering about lonely wolves' rage and anger.

She couldn't stop her giggle, she was a wild, feral thing now, an animal with a taste for blood.

Her eyes sought out Uncas' murderer and she let a wide smile bare her teeth at him. If he touched her again she'd sink her teeth into his throat, to whatever end it brought, hers or his, she did not care.

One of the warriors placed a meal near her, not getting close enough that she could reach him, the last one that had gotten so close had lost his k ife when she lunged at him, she'd sunk it into his stomach and days later the wound had rotted him from the inside out and now the rest feared her.

She wondered what Uncas would think of her now, of the wild thing she'd become, wondered if he'd still touch her softly with gentle kisses or if there would be fear in his eyes too.

Alice dropped her gaze to the food and turned away as the smell reached her, nausea rising at whatever they had used to cook it.

It worried her, she could not afford to be sick, to be so vulnerable among enemies, especially when she doubted a rescue would be coming.

Cora surely thought her dead, a kinder fate than her current situation and what purpose would Chingachgook have to follow after the child that got his son killed.

Alice shook her head and looked into the trees, the shadows playing tricks on her as they had since the cliffs, making her see Uncas within them, reaching out to her, whispering to her to just hold on, that he was coming for her.

She knew better, no one was coming for her, not this time.

This time she would have to save herself.

Hours later, as the sun rose and sneaked peaks through the leaves, Alice smiled and waited.

Uncas' murderer touched her shoulder to wake her as he always did, the only one still brave, or foolish, enough to touch her.

Her eyes were bright and wild as she watched his own widen in shock, as she watched the light fade from them, the boning from her corset thrust into his unprotected chest.

"For Uncas." She whispered as she shoved him away from her, her hands grabbing his knife to quickly cut the ropes on her ankles and wrists.

As she got up the warriors took notice of her and the body of Uncas' killer, and as they began towards her she ran, shouts of alarm echoing after her.

She could only hope that they would let her go, would let her revenge stand as a justice that did not require its own vengeance.

Soon enough though, Alice felt her energy wane, she'd spent all night working the whale bone from the lining of her corset and her stomach had rebelled against dinner for too many nights.

She was tired and her heart ached with each breath, though that had become a familiar thing since she had been prevented from joining Uncas.

Alice forced herself to continue, she could hear rushing water and she was so thirsty.

Her eyes went misty at the sight of a waterfall as she broke out of the treeline.

It was not the same one that had sheltered Alice's one and only union with her love, it was too tall and not wide enough but it was still beautiful.

"Beautiful." Alice whispered as she fell to her knees at the river's edge and finally let her tears escape, the water taking them away from her in swirls, but the river could not take her grief.

\--

A child's laughter echoed through the trees making Nathaniel loom up from his tracking, it no longer mattered anyway, the child's noise had surely scared any game away.

Instead Nathaniel began to look for the child, who, despite the joyful noise, was surely lost, no one lived around here, too close to the death place of Magua and his warriors.

Nathaniel closed his eyes against the lingering guilt.

By the time he and Chingachgook had caught up to the War Party Magua was already dead and Alice was gone, where no one in the band would tell but there had been fear in their eyes when they had said they were looking for the girl.

They had killed the group and buried them without honor in unmarked graves and had returned to Cora empty handed and heavy hearted.

But telling Uncas that Alice was gone when the other man had finally woken from the fever that had taken him due to the wounds Magua had given him had been worse.

Uncas had risked his life to save Alice and had failed and his family had failed to even bring her body home.

Uncas hadn't been the same since they had returned without Alice, somehow quieter and his gaze often strayed out into the distance, lingering on nothing.

Chingchgook had even considered holding funeral rites for his son and his lost daughter, Uncas explaining that he and Alice had joined beneath the falls and he'd given her Vows in his own language.

And Cora had wept, long and loud as she grieved for her sister, offering prayers to her own God that Alice was at peace, that she had been a gentle girl who deserved Heaven and not damnation for being in love.

And they had moved on, following the game to make their living and each year they returned to the area Cora would pray for her sister's soul and grieve her loss.

But Uncas grieved each day, would whisper secrets to no one and would linger on pretty things, things Alice might have liked.

And Nathaniel and Chingchgook both ignored the trunk that was filled with colorful ribbons, a handful of practical dresses and lovingly made delicate moccasins that would never be worn.

Nathaniel broke through the trees and caught sight of a small child at the river's edge, pulling a fish from the waters.

The child looked up and Nathaniel felt his breath leave him.

Soft brown eyes gazed at him but the shape of the child's face did not belong to the owner of those eyes, no, the shape of that face belonged to his brother and those gentle eyes belonged to a girl lost several years ago.

"Who are you?" The child asked as they stood up, eyes curious.

Nathaniel crouched down to the child's level and the child was so familiar from this angle.

"My name is Nathaniel, what's yours?" Nathaniel asked.

"LUCAS!" A voice called from the distance.

"That's mama calling, I've got to go." The child said, racing off.

"Wait!" Nathaniel called rushing after him.

The boy was quick, like Uncas was and Nathaniel nearly lost him several times only to catch sight of him through the trees, leaping over rocks and branches or using them to swing himself forward, laughing the whole way.

The boy finally came to a small clearing where a small house was built.

A woman stood by the door, clearly waiting for the child's return.

Nathaniel paused as the child threw his arms around the woman's waist.

She looked the same, mostly, her dress was plain and dark rather than the light colors she had favored before, her hair was the same color, a bit longer, perhaps, with the same braid that Uncas had put in her hair beneath the falls.

Alice's eyes looked up in response to something the child said and her eyes met Nathaniel's.

A thousand thoughts went through Nathaniel's mind but only one came out of his mouth.

"You're alive." He said.

Alice looked pained as she lifted her son onto her hip.

"Yes." She said simply.

Nathaniel frowned, "Cora has missed you, mourned you." Nathaniel said, feeling anger rise in his chest, he had spent the last six years watching his family mourn this woman when she was alive and could have been with them.

Alice looked away, her gaze falling to the child, she pressed a kiss to his hair before setting him down.

"Lucas, go tend your fish." Alice told him, pushing him into the house.

She waited until he was gone before speaking again, eyes on the door he had gone through.

"She was right to mourn, I wanted to die, wanted to follow Uncas, but...," Alice turned to him, eyes wet with tears she refused to let fall, "I discovered I was pregnant with Lucas, my little miracle."

Nathaniel opened his mouth.

"Even if I had wanted to find you, I couldn't, I didn't know where I was, how far we'd travelled or which way to go to find even a town, and so I just stayed here." Alice interrupted him, "I figured here was as good a place as any to raise Uncas' child, and maybe you'd find me."

Alice smiled a little sadly.

"Uncas isn't dead, Alice." Nathaniel told her.

"What?" Alice asked, she looked shaken and Nathaniel reached out to catch her as she went down, guiding her to the ground and crouching beside her, hands in her biceps.

"He..., he threw..., threw him over the..., cliff." Alice gasped out as her hand went to her chest, rubbing over her heart as though it hurt.

"It took some time for him to recover but he lived, Alice." Nathaniel told her and almost flinched when she looked at him with such naked hope edged in fear.

"Is he..., does he...?" She seemed unable or unwilling to finish.

"He mourns the girl he Vowed himself to, the one he failed to save." Nathaniel said softly.

Alice choked on a sob and fell into Nathaniel's chest and soaked his shirt with her tears.

"It is too late to head back but I will take you to Uncas in the morning." Nathaniel promised.

Alice looked ready to argue but her eyes went to the house and she nodded instead and Nathaniel helped her up and followed her inside to meet his nephew.

\--

Nathaniel was late, he should have returned yesterday but he hadn't, it had not yet been long enough for Uncas to worry but Cora did, pacing the floor and wringing her hands, beginning a task only to leave it unfinished as she went to look out the window.

Chingachgook and Uncas both tried to ignore or sooth her worry, if Nathaniel did not return today they would go searching tomorrow, Nathaniel was more than capable.

A child's laughter startled them, a sound that was followed by Nathaniel's own deep laugh.

Uncas frowned, had Nathaniel found a lost child and if he had why bring them home with him, unless the child's parents were dead.

Chingachgook went to open the door before Cora could get there, her pregnancy disallowing her to get up quickly now that she was nearing it's end.

"Father!" Nathaniel cried as he entered the house with the child on his shoulders, "This is Lucas."

"Hullo." The boy said shyly, burying his small face in Nathaniel's hair.

But Uncas' eyes fell on the woman who entered after Nathaniel and he could not stop himself from rising, could not stop himself from reaching out to touch a ghost.

Only, she felt real as her hand covered his where it held her cheek.

"You're real." He whispered.

She nodded, as though she had no ability to speak.

And Uncas drew her close and pressed his forehead to hers before pressing a soft kiss to her lips and he didn't even care that it tasted of tears, hers or his or maybe both.

"Mama." The child called and Uncas startled.

Alice pulled away and reached out to the boy who reached out for her. Alice settled the child on her hip and looked at Uncas.

Uncas looked from Alice to the boy, hand reaching out to trace his cheek, his eyes taking in the child's eyes, his hair and his facial structure. And Uncas knew, he knew this child was his, and even if he had not been the one to sire him then the child was his by virtue of being Alice's son, but Uncas could not help hoping that his and Alice's single joining had given Alice this child.

"Lucas, this is your father, Uncas." Alice said gently, eyes soft as she watched Uncas discover his child.

"Hello, Papa." Lucas said reaching out to Uncas.

Uncas took him from Alice cautiously, suddenly worried he would hurt him, though he knew most children were sturdy enough.

Uncas startled at the feel of small hands wiping his cheeks.

"Why are you crying, Papa? Are you sad? Mama gets sad a lot." Lucas said.

"I'm not sad, I'm really happy." Uncas whispered, reaching out to pull Alice into his chest with the hand not holding their son.

Uncas could hear Cora crying and when he looked over Nathaniel was holding her as she sobbed and he glanced at his Father who was, likewise, crying and he smiled at Uncas and gave him a nod.

Uncas nodded back and pressed a kiss to Alice's hair and then his son's and for the first time since the cliffs Uncas felt whole.

He felt like he was breathing again for the first time since Magua pushed him over the cliffs.

Uncas squeezed Alice's shoulders, making her look up at him, eyes bright with joy and wet with happy tears.

As she leaned up to kiss him Uncas felt alive.

\---

A/n: look, I know the movie was about Nathaniel and Cora falling in love but Uncas and Alice's love story captured my poor little Asexual heart with their longing glances and brief touches and not a single actual kiss and it felt so much more real than Cora and Nathaniel.

I don't know if it was because it was more implied than anything that I liked this pairing better but Alice and Uncas felt more natural to me than Nathaniel and Cora and so I had to write an alternate ending to their love story.


End file.
